The Fellowship of Those Who Paved the Road – Searcy W.

About This Speaker Tape

2nd Southwest Archives - 1995

A childhood on a poor farm in Funston Texas and a career as a semi-pro pitcher set the stage for Searcy W.'s descent into compulsive pathological drinking. He maps out the wreckage of his life—stealing money from a drinking buddy losing high-paying jobs and a failed stint in the Army—before finding a moment of clarity in 1946. Searcy W. details his role in planting AA groups across the Southwest and his deep personal friendship with Bill W. He recounts the effort to bring Ebby T. to Dallas to get sober describing Ebby T.'s hallucinations and eventual temporary sobriety. The narrative moves from the gritty reality of 'homebrew' and 'pickle trucks' to the spiritual architecture of the 12 Traditions ending with a reflection on the enduring nature of the fellowship.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Searcy W. opens with a joke about his sobriety date and the telegrams he receives.
• 5:30 Childhood in Funston, Texas, and the strict missionary Baptist upbringing.
• 12:15 Laughter: The story of Red Hill and the casket prank.
• 18:40 Discussion of the 'x factor' and the shift into compulsive, pathological drinking.
• 25:10 The 'geographical cure' and the struggle of driving a 'pickle truck' in Corpus Christi.
• 32:20 Meeting Bob S. and the first introduction to the Big Book.
• 38:15 Arrival at the AA rooms at 912 1/2 Main and the commitment to 24 hours of sobriety.
• 45:00 Efforts to start AA groups across the Southwest and meeting Bill W.
• 52:10 The science of alcoholism and working with Dr. J. at the Yale School of Alcohol Studies.
• 58:30 The 12 Traditions: Searcy W.'s initial resistance and later realization of their necessity.
• 1:05:15 The story of Ebby T.'s arrival in Dallas and his struggle with hallucinations.
• 1:18:40 The '23rd and a half Psalm' and final reflections on the 12 Promises.